Neil Dryden

"Neil is the best analytical economist I have come across. Also a great performer in Court. Fiercely independent, which is great for maintaining the professional respect that he commands from Courts and Tribunals. But also a great team player and very user friendly." - Lexology Index 2024

Neil Dryden is Co-Head of Compass Lexecon International practice and Member of the Global Executive Committee.

Neil specialises in competition economics, and has a broad expertise covering mergers, agreements, dominance, market studies and litigation.

Neil was awarded the 2016 Economist of the Year by Global Competition Review. He is listed among the most highly regarded “Global Elite Thought Leaders” in Competition Economics 2024 by Who’s Who Legal.

Neil has analyzed cases in sectors including advertising, banking and financial services, broadcasting, casinos, chemicals, cinemas, digital platforms, energy, FMCG, healthcare, manufacturing, media and broadcasting, medical devices, metals and mining, paper and packaging, petroleum, pharmaceuticals, postal services, pubs, publishing, retail, scientific instruments, sports, technology, telecommunications, tobacco, transport, and water.

Some of his recent merger work includes Yokohama Rubber Company/Trelleborg Wheel Systems, Hitachi/Thales GTS, Farfetch/YNAP, Noble/Maersk Drilling, Parker Hannifin/Meggitt, NortonLifeLock/Avast, S&P/IHS Markit, Lyreco/Staples Solutions, JD Sports/Footasylum and Amazon/Deliveroo. Neil is the expert for various claimants in the UK umbrella litigation proceedings on merchant interchange fees against Mastercard and Visa.

Neil was educated at Oxford University where he obtained a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (first class) and an M.Phil. in Economics. At King’s College, London, he obtained a postgraduate diploma in EC competition law (with distinction).

"Class act, top of the top - amongst the absolute best, spectacular and 5 stars, very bright and switched on." - Lexology Index 2024

"Neil is fantastic and my first choice competition economist. He is extremely bright, understands issues quickly, able to absorb the detail and zoom out to the points that matter. On top of this, he's very pleasant, responsive and easy to work with." - Lexology Index 2025

"Huge raw intelligence, excellent analytical skills and fantastic experience. Plus, a great communicator." - Lexology Index 2025

"Efficient, incisive and significant value add. Huge intellect. Clear. Responsive. Easy to deal with." - Lexology Index 2024

"He quickly got to grips with a complex market and produced excellent analysis with incredible speed. Their work is of a high standard and is trusted by authorities. They are my go-to when I need reliable and credible economic support in a complicated matter." - Lexology Index 2025

"Compass Lexecon are simply superb - they are the market leading economists when it comes to competition claims in the CAT. Neil Dryden was our secret weapon - he is incredibly thorough and thoughtful, with a fantastic supporting team." - Lexology Index 2025

"He is respected by courts and the tribunals, a very safe pair of hands." - Lexology Index 2025

"Very good economist. Sheer intellect, is very bright and good at taking relatively complex concepts and thinking about relatively straightforward ways to demonstrate if they are right or wrong, uses data in a creative way." - Lexology Index 2025

"He is very involved in the preparation of the hearing and the case's arguments. He is very good, user-friendly, and a leading competition economist." - Lexology Index 2025

"Understated person, effective, quietly spoken but confident, presents well." - Lexology Index 2025

"They are extremely thorough, very bright and come across honestly in the witness box. Strong analytical skills, good at breaking concepts down into bite size chunks." - Lexology Index 2025

"Very succinct and user friendly. Incredibly diligent and efficient." - Lexology Index 2024

"He is very easy to work with, has a clear and straightforward manner, and is exceptionally bright and switched on." - Lexology Index 2024

"He can distil complex issues and provides clear, simple and compelling analysis." - Lexology Index 2023

"Great to work with." - Lexology Index 2023

"He is outstanding!" - Lexology Index 2023

"Simply one of the best." - Lexology Index 2023

"Clever, thorough and easy to work with." - Lexology Index 2022

"A standout expert in the field." - Lexology Index 2022

"Receptive to feedback. He is excellent and I highly recommend him." - Lexology Index 2025